Happy New Year ~ 2025 ~ On Creative Arts Three Day Weekend
© A. Mac/A.G.
© A. Mac/A.G.
First thing first. Check the article at the link below.
RED BOX RULES: AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
From time-to-time, I should remind all members of NT, etc., that when posting photos, artwork, etc., it's important, when posting, that you own, and/or legally represent the licensing, copyright, etc., of what you post, and TO PROTECT YOUR WORK, TO INCLUDE YOUR COPYRIGHT SYMBOL/INFORMATION; and/or, WHEN POSTING COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY BELONGING TO PARTIES OTHER THAN YOURSELF, TO …
• BE SURE YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO POST, TRANSMIT, etc, SUCH PROPERTY, and,
• IF/WHEN SUCH PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED, TO PROPERLY AND CLEARLY ATTRIBUTE THE COPYRIGHTS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNER(S).
VERY IMPORTANT … IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REMEMBER TO POST THIS CAVEAT REGULARLY.
Thanks, A. MAC
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Happy New Year!
Arvo Mac... Happy New Year to you and Mrs Mac and I hope it is a good one for us all..
Not my photos.. Sydney's fireworks are far superior to Melbourne's...
HNY amac!
Happy New Year! Have a great 2025!
And to you and yours, A.Mac, a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, and SAFE 2025. Although the Gregorian calendar New Year is observed here, China's traditional New Year and Spring Festival starts January 29 this year. On China's New Year's Eve almost everyone watches the more than 4 hour New Year's Eve TV special that starts at 8 p.m. Here is a photo I took of the midnight fireworks shown on the show when it turned 2019.
Catalonia - View from Montserrat (© G. Gam)
Nice atmospheric image.
For New Year's Eve our model Railroad club ran a train display. We will soon be starting on our new building and a permeant layout. This one has 10 sections that fit together. and needs a lot of scenery work.
Is that setup at the club or in your home?
It was set up in the town hall and is stored in a retired sea container
I love stuff like this. Maybe when I get done with some house upgrades and I can focus on my fishroom I can incorporate some modeling into it. Something like a train bridge over one of the aquariums? I think that would be fantastically nerdy.
I'd be all over that! lol.
I remember sitting for hours stringing black sewing thread across all of the "telephone poles" on my platforms.
I had tracks around the outside, mountains and a race track... HO scale.
New Year’s Eve, Sydney Australia.
Happy New Year! I got whatever flu/cold virus is going around and also got to spent time with the little ones. It's a lot warmer in AZ than WI, but now it's back to work...
hope you feel better soon
Thank you. I was feeling better, but today is a little tougher than yesterday. I'm glad I have tomorrow off.
You’re off on Sunday’s??? Talk about luck…Have a great day off.
without my daily pill dispenser, I wouldn't know what day of the week it is ...
... uh, it is friday, right?
Arvo..the only time I know which day of the week it is, is when the garbos come around Monday morning..
If they ever change the day I will be stuffed..
it'd be a fire drill in my kitchen when I heard the truck and I'd end up chasing them down the road with a bag in each hand ...
LOL, I’m the same without my pill dispenser I wouldn’t have any idea what day it is…
I'm off work on weekends, but a lot of those days my wife puts me to work. LOL!
Yes, my pill dispenser helps me keep track of days too.
Bet they were a lot more fun than fish.
OK, time for my crazy Texas weather Xmas pics.
It will all end Sunday when subartic winds blow away the 70s in exchange for the low 20s.
Moving the patio plants to the garage for a few months, lol.
I wouldn't recommend using any garage "plant lights" in that state ...
Your plants are very grateful for your kindness to them.
It stems from his kindness which never leaves him. We should root for people like that. I certainly plant to do that. Botany body knows that.
Yes, I should be PUNished for this post. It soils my reputation …
How cool is that, a garage with its own garden, only in Texas.
You said Texas, but those in the bottom right aren't roses.
Lantana. This one is confused, the rest of it's red, white, yellow and orange relatives have already died back to the roots without a trace but they will return next summer.
The roses weren't in the best shape. They react to the changes in daylight and are just hoping they hold on to their leaves until spring time.
The Crotons did well until this week, then most of the leaves fell off all together. Sad.
Time to bring the Hibiscus in to the garage.
I used to have a beautiful plant that a student gave me that I took care of for years, but now I have none. Having seen what you've posted I've decided to get myself another plant to look after.
Most of the roses are just one petal or two
Here's a fresh bud that will be frozen by the time you see it.
Had it been able to predict its future it might have resisted opening up.
That system might produce a small disaster here in MO. There's a winter weather warning out for most of the state, and an ice storm warning on top of that for several counties in my vicinity, starting today at 6 PM. It could lay down up to an inch of ice in places, with anywhere from 3 to 12 inches of snow on top of it, depending on location.
If the ice prediction holds true and power lines start snapping under the weight, I might be well and truly screwed. There's no fixing that kind of thing quickly. It's been 18 years since the last really bad ice storm happened around here, and some places back then (but thankfully not me) were without power for weeks after, with freezing temps to boot. I really hope we're not due for another one like that.
Nice greenery and flower shots, btw. A nice wintertime refresher, especially the green grass.
Morning Dig...when they abbreviate your State names no one thought to use three letters? You have so many....
I thought you were talking about Montana as in MO but it is Missouri..had to google it...
Just pity you mob having to learn them all and plus thier capitals at school...
It's so much easier here as one State WA takes up nearly half the country...we only have 6 States which makes life so much easier..
Just think Texas could have taken up half the country...well they do say everything is bigger there...
We still have a few Muscovy ducks with no feet or frostbite damaged feet from that last Texas debacle in 2021
when vast sections of Texas were without power or water due to the freezing temps.
After years of outrage and promises of mandatory winterizations, the state weakly made all of the mandates
voluntary for the energy providers. We shall see next week if anything has changed.
It's not so bad. The postal codes become second nature over time. It's just memory through repetition, lol.
Yikes. Still voluntary? Didn't know that. Hope you guys don't have a repeat.
The storm got here about an hour ago. Just wet drizzle so far and one degree above freezing. I imagine it'll start coating everything with ice as the temp drops going into the night. Just heard there's a new blizzard warning up around Kansas City, with expected winds of 50 mph, and they've already closed the airport. Good thing the Chiefs game is in Denver tomorrow. I hope their plane has already left, haha.
Morning..ice snow cold wet...
Going to be 28c here today...
Sun, sand and surf...️️
I guess 28c is about 82f. That's nice and not excessively hot. Middle of summer, too, right? Lucky you, lol.
Oh man, I just looked that up. They were supposed to leave hours ago, but some mechanical problem delayed them and now their plane is stuck in KC, lol.
No idea if they're going to make it out tonight or not. Tomorrow's game might have to be postponed.
Yes first month of summer has gone..one thing living by the sea we have a more temperate climate..
Can be 28 here and yet 20 mins up the road inland from here it could be 40..pass on that..
Plus we get the sea breezes which certainly helps...
It's supposed to hit us in Virginia starting tomorrow evening with anywhere from 5 to 12 inches of snow and cold, and maybe some sleet mixed in. It's already pretty cold at 19 degrees and windy. The governor already declared a state of emergency.
Morning...and I can even have Alfresco dining in my own backyard while you mob freeze..
Scrambled eggs on a toasted muffin..
Aha! This morning I had scrambled eggs, toast with marmalade and strawberry jam, edamame, fried baby tomatoes, orange juice and coffee. I usually make my own western-style breakfasts although my wife sometimes makes egg souffle or egg pancakes embedded with chopped greens. I do enjoy my Australian oats twice a week.
Although I loved the ice and snow when I was a kid, and being 50 miles from Buffalo meant I was able to enjoy it a lot, I'm just as happy to never see either again now.
Time to fire up your stove!
I hauled a big cartload of firewood into the garage earlier, and filled a bunch of 5 gallon buckets with water for flushing if the power goes out. I think I'm ready.
Oooh. More green. Every winter I miss the green. Very attractive setting for brekky you have there.
I hear you. I like it if it comes in December when it feels all Christmassy, but after that it's just a pain.
A new article says they finally made it out. I guess the airport is open again, for the time being anyway.
It's green all year round here..
The only deciduous trees are European ones..
Gumtrees (eucalyptus) don't drop their leaves..but they do drop branches unfortunately..
A couple of people were killed last year a case of wrong place at the wrong time..
There are a few evergreens here, mostly cedar, but they're a duller shade of green in the winter and not as nice. Everything else looks dead.
It would suck to die from a falling branch. It's rare, but it happens here, too.
To get it done before the storm, today contractor installed a new liner in my chimney. It had to be done but disconnected my wood stove for a while. I hope power does not go out. Hopefully by end of month I will have a new oil furnace, heat pump, central AC, new wood stove and new separate flue for it.
I miss my wood stove already
Will Santa still fit? Actually I do miss the smell of a wood-burning fireplace. I had them in the first two homes I owned and in my lakeside chalet.
When I was younger and still in my "badass" persona, when the ice on lakes in the Philly suburbs got to be at least 4" thick, I'd go ice fishing.
Even had hair to keep my head warm.
Nice cold weather haul. I've never done any winter fishing that I can remember. Looks like a few largemouths and a walleye maybe?
Largemouth Bass and a Chain Pickerel. I used to give my catches to a neighbor but evolved to a "Catch and Release" guy.
Yeah, cleaning fish kind of sucks.
Lets see 18 years. Seems about right. I had just moved to Newtonia, MO to care for my ex-FiL's properties. It was January 2007. Two weeks we were without power. Unbeknownst to me, the company that I was contracting for was trying to get hold of me to do some work. Just my luck.
Here is hoping that you stay warm and dry over the coming days.
I smell money talking.
Yup, Jan 2007. I'd never seen anything like that. And it was over such a large area. Remember how the trees were torn all to hell everywhere? Years later I was still noticing damage along I-44 between Joplin and Springfield, like stands of tall trunks covered with nothing but short new branches.
I just discovered there's a Wikipedia page about it. Reading through it, I didn't realize so many states were affected. That was really something.
It lasted seems like 3 days of drizzly, freezing water that fell and as soon as it hit it added to the thickness of ice that was there.
Up the page aways you say people have been killed by falling branches. I had been cutting up downed branches in the driveway right next to a big sweet-gum tree. I was wearing hearing protection so I was kind of in my own world, looking around and working, cutting, moving branches. It gets tangled sometimes, and I saw Papa say something to me. I straightened up to look at him, and that is when a six-inch radius branch went right past my face, right where my head had been! Wow! That's what I call a near-miss.
Thou didst feed thy neighbour.
I brought in a bunch of firewood Friday, and had the chimney sweep inspect and clean the chimney. I have a good fire going now. I'll fill the bathtub later to have water for flushing. It's not supposed to start snowing here until 9 PM or so.
There's no other heat quite like it, is there?
Yikes! Close call.
I got lucky and nothing much happened here at all. Other places around me had it worse. I posted some shots of the little ice I did get down below. I'm only supposed to get a little snow later on tonight and it'll be over.
Worth the work
IllumiNations Fireworks, EPCOT, Walt Disney World
© A. Mac/A.G.
Geez what are they trying to do?
Create a bushfire??
Kitty escaped into the woods.
Wow. Really well done, Hal. I've always admired calico cats.
She might be part calico, but she looks calico when I edit her photos. In reality her colors are more muted. She’s a good subject for editing. Here’s an unedited version.
Okay, she's a pretty cat even muted. LOL
she looks like she hasn't missed a lot of meals ...
Morning...yes I thought the same when I saw the photo..
Chonky and beefy sprang to mind..
Lol, I swear it’s her breed. Her short and stubby legs are naturally far apart (like a bulldog). Her physique doesn’t stop her from effortlessly jumping up on tables and counters.
That looks like a happy cat
Caption: "What are you doing?? ...do you have food or attention?"
Bella eyeing her Christmas present.
It was a new bed called a cat nest, with a flap on top for her to curl up under. She hasn't taken to it yet.
A possum up on the platform bird feeder, lol.
A Cardinal on some cedar branches. Tomorrow I might get a shot of one on some ice covered cedar branches.
But I notice that she seems quite content in her corrugated castle.
Haha, yeah, she likes that little play box I made for her, even though she's nearly outgrown it. Gonna have to find a bigger box and make her a new one soon.
Arvo... usually the way..
The cats prefer the box to what was inside it..or they just park themselves on your bed... right where you get in..
That is where they can love on you the most ...or at least get the most attention payed to them.
Great photos.
Thanks, Buzz.
Our possums certainly look different to yours..
Damn! they are almost cute. Probably deceptively so. Ours look really pissed, especially if you open the dog food bag, they get scared and hiss and show those teeth like they are just gonna eat you up!
Ours growl that's about it..they take the food out of your hand and happy to let you pat them when they know you are no threat..
These two follow me..come down from the tree, across the driveway and then up on to the fence..I have put a bowl on the fence for them to help themselves..
Nectarine is the one they go for most and manderine second.. followed by apple and banana...
Yours are nice and cute.
I think the American ones look more like Spy vs Spy.
The big storm turned out to be mostly a bust for me. I guess that's lucky and I shouldn't complain, but to be honest, with all the buildup on the news it almost feels like a letdown. The power flickered a couple of times last night, but it never went off.
I guess there's been a good amount of snow to the north of me, and more ice and a lot of power outages a few counties over to the southeast. All that's left for me here is maybe an inch of snow in the next couple of hours and that'll be it.
Here's some photos of the small amount of icing I got today, maybe only a couple tenths of an inch.
That still looks like plenty of ice to bring down power lines and make the roads a mess.
The power lines are sagging a little, but none have come down around here as far as I know. Some are definitely down a few counties over, though. According to the news the roads are all covered to the north of me, but the ground right here hasn't really frozen yet. It's supposed to get down to 14 tonight, so that'll change, and whatever snow comes tonight might make for slick and messy roads in the morning.
Overall, it hasn't been bad for me at all.
Now that I've said that, watch the power go out tonight. *knock on wood*
I know it's not funny but there are heaps of videos on YouTube of people everywhere trying to walk to their cars etc or just go outside when there is ice...
People sliding down foot paths, roads or trying to walk down steps..cars and buses sliding around and crashing into other cars or objects..
There was one where two women are trying to get to a car in a driveway..they both start sliding one managed to grab the car door the other went sliding down the drive..they were laughing so hard one said she was going to pee herself..
I know you can easily break bones etc but these two were hilarious..
When I was living in England I slipped over on ice three times in the exact spot in Durham..think I would have learnt but I don't think I was convinced it could happen again..
Ice and snow was totally foreign to me and I revelled in it..the locals thought I was nuts..
My college roommate and I went grocery shopping after an ice storm. The parking lot was sloped, and our cart took off downhill with the two of us doing our best to stop it. We couldn't get any traction. We were lucky we didn't hit any cars.
Morning...still looks chilly enough though..
Yes it's typical media they do the same here..
Australia is gripped in a heat wave blah blah...uummm yes it is in the middle of Summer it is really not that usual..
But they make it sound like it has never happened before...
To be honest the Summers when I was a kid were far longer and hotter than we get here now..no air con then and no one thought anything of it..
But now it near on hysteria and to this day I don't have air con..I hate it.. Even in the car it has to be about 35c before I turn it on..
I remember the crystal paradise of the ice-covered bare branches of the trees on a sunny day, a sparkling vision to behold. But I was back in Canada then, and now I need not experience ice and snow again.
It's snowing right now and the wind had picked up, making the ice on the trees crack and groan. It's strangely spooky outside at the moment.
Bella just had her first experience with snow. I opened the door in the garage and she jumped out like usual, but froze when her feet hit the snowy ground and stood there for a confused minute. She then ran around trying to bat a few snowflakes out of the air, but gave it up pretty quickly and ran back into the garage as if to say, "To hell with that." LOL
she'll want to get back out in it as soon as she figures it out ...
Thanks and again, happy new year.